Anyone else get stuck with $69.99 for AOL Free-Trial?

[Jeffwo]

Anyone else get stuck with $69.99 for AOL Free-Trial?

I installed the new 7.0 disk that I got in the mail, wanting to try out the Instant messenger
and see what it was all about. I had to enter my bank account info before they would activate
the account.

This rocked on for some 28 days then I called the number they give you to cancel the free
service. They tried to get me to keep part of the service and several sales ploys but I insisted
I just wanted to cancel the service.

Well, finally, they gave me a number ( a cancellation number, I think) and assured me that I
would not be charged. But...guess what? Right, after 3 or 4 months later, I see the other day
they have charged me $69.99. They made an electronic withdrawl from my checking account.


So, OK, I call the number they left with the bank when the zapped the money from my account.
The person there says that their records show that I am a current AOL subscriber and that I
will have to send a copy of my bank statement to some review board before they will consider
refunding my money.

Of course, I have long since forgotten where I wrote down the number that they gave me (the
cancellation number or whatever).

Has anyone here had a positive experience in this situation and if so what did you do?

I would like to sue the retards for fraud. If there was some kind of class action suit against them
I would definately add my name to the list.

Thanks for listening and any help would be apppreciated,
Jeff

 

[glen]

This just happened to my GF.
I told her I thought the best way to handle it would be through her CC dispute service.
Keep me updated on your results.

 

[Jzero]

<< Anyone else get stuck with $69.99 for AOL Free-Trial?

I installed the new 7.0 disk that I got in the mail, wanting to try out the Instant messenger
and see what it was all about. >>



Instant messenger is free....?

 

[Pepsi90919]

<< Instant messenger is free....? >>

exactly, wtf?

 

[aphex]

Instant messenger is a seperate free program... AOL Instant Messenger

 

[Jeffwo]

<<Instant messenger is free....?>>

Yes, I know that now....duh.

Jeff

 

[clarkmo]

Dispute it with your bank. Show them you're current intnet access records. AOL sucks by the way. Thru and thru. And why the heck did they wait 3 months? Cause their dbase is screwed up. AOL is svck, but everybody knows that. Good luck. Don't forget the BBB and FBI Internet fraud.

 

[Jeffwo]

<< Dispute it with your bank. Show them you're current intnet access records. AOL sucks by the way. Thru and thru. And why the heck did they wait 3 months? Cause their dbase is screwed up. AOL is svck, but everybody knows that. Good luck. Don't forget the BBB and FBI Internet fraud. >>



Thanks, I'll do that.

Jeff

 

[tcsenter]

Always send a letter or fax to cancel anything and keep it for your own records. Now its your word against theirs. Good luck.

 

[WA261]

ummmmm...... thats what you get for using AOL =)

 

[AaronP]

Dispute it with your bank

that won't work, disputes only work with CREDIT CARDS, it sounds like you used a bank account number.

 

[DAWeinG]

That happened to me once. I called in and they told me that after I called in to cancel the account, I had logged on at least once. They said that logging in at least once after you cancel will revive the account and therefore you will get charged. What a load of .....

 

[yakko]

You needed to threads on your one subject?

 

[ericb]

That's nothing...I had AOL way back and cancelled the card it was billed too, cancelled AOL and forgot about it. Because of the way it was being billed, my cancelled card was reactivated and nine months of charges were billed to it...of course since it was cancelled I never got a statement from them. I only found out about it when I got my credit report and saw a balance on a card that should have been $0. No idea why the CC company didn't come after me for non-payment but they would only refund the past four months and I had to eat the rest.

 

[Jerboy]

<< Always send a letter or fax to cancel anything and keep it for your own records. Now its your word against theirs. Good luck. >>



Use your answering machine to it's fullest. Most are capable of recording ongoing conversation. Save it on a tape and should there be a dispute, you have a physical evidence.

 

[yakko]

<<

<< Always send a letter or fax to cancel anything and keep it for your own records. Now its your word against theirs. Good luck. >>



Use your answering machine to it's fullest. Most are capable of recording ongoing conversation. Save it on a tape and should there be a dispute, you have a physical evidence. >>

Just remeber you have to tell them you are recording the conversationor else it is illegal. Of course when you tell them they will not procede until you stop recording.

 

[NuclearFusi0n]

<<

<<

<< Always send a letter or fax to cancel anything and keep it for your own records. Now its your word against theirs. Good luck. >>



Use your answering machine to it's fullest. Most are capable of recording ongoing conversation. Save it on a tape and should there be a dispute, you have a physical evidence. >>

Just remeber you have to tell them you are recording the conversationor else it is illegal. Of course when you tell them they will not procede until you stop recording. >>



Ever call them? "This call may be monitored or recorded for blah blah blah purposes..." that's their consent right there

 

[mdennison]

Yes! I called them and they refunded my CC. Good luck!

ps: that was about a year ago.

 

[MrBond]

I saw an article in Boardwatch about two years ago about AOL's tactics like this. I remember it saying how AOL makes it VERY difficult to cancle the free trials.

 

[DAWeinG]

<< I saw an article in Boardwatch about two years ago about AOL's tactics like this. I remember it saying how AOL makes it VERY difficult to cancle the free trials. >>



So very true, they gave me 9 months free from december 2001 until august 2002. If I even forget to cancel that one day, they will have won Everytime I call in to cancel, they keep referring me to their other services: homework help, keyword, etc etc.

 

[mdennison]

I wonder why people have had trouble cancelling the free trial... It was just a phone call for me...

 

[Pocatello]

AOL is evil.

 

[Jeffwo]

<< I wonder why people have had trouble cancelling the free trial... It was just a phone call for me... >>



If you'll notice, I called them 28 days into the 30 day free trial and cancelled. They even gave me
a cancellation number. But that was like 3 or 4 months before they drafted my bank account for
the $69.99. I have searched and searched for the paper that I wrote the cancellation number on
and cannot find it.

Sheesh...so many folks have come in here and commented like I am some kind of idiot or
something. I am a relative newbie at the whole computer thing but I am not a total idiot

It just looks like someone here would at least try to answer the question I asked to begin
with and give some assistance to help out instead of trying to run me into the ground.

Jeff